Molding apparatus.



PATENTED APR. 17, 1906.

E. L. AIKEN. MOLDING APPARATUS.

APPLIGATION FILED MAR.23,1905.

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Inventor: aka-1 1 4: Z: l/

No. 817,831. PATENTED APR.1'7, 1906.

E. L. AIKEN.

MOLDING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.23,1905.

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Attest Inventor W amt-M v z y- -iiTED STATES PATENT oFFIoE.

snwnan L. AIKr'N, or EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR. To NEW eraser PATENT COMPANY, or wnsr ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, A cos- PQRATION OF NEW JERSEY.

. MOLDING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 17, 1906.

Application filed March 23, 190 5. Seria1Nc. 251,662.

To aZkl iQhQY/b it may concern."-

Be it known that I, EDWARD L. AIKEN, a;

sidi at East Orange, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented cer-- in'the molding of honograph-records, and

referably the mol' ing process described in atent No. 683,615,,grantcd October 1, 1.901,

' to falter H. Miller and Jonas W; A lswoith,

is reamed out While-still warm. The mold,

' ations just described. In this manner hefinishes up the row .of six mold-carriers, and

upon his return to the first a sufiicient length wherein a hollow c lindrical mol bearing upon-its interior s aceafphonographic'record in'relief is dipped intomolten material suitable for forming records, so that-the wax'or wax-like materialcon'geals andforms a deposit upon the bore of the cylinder, whereupon the moldis then raised out of the tank containing the molten material and the congealed wax being then chilled, the record contracts and maybe drawn out from themold by a rela- 'tive longitudinal movement without injury to the record-groove.

In apparatus used riers side by side-above a ong tank, so that oneoperator can attend to the, operation of six molds. The operation ofsuch apparatus is as follows The'mold being in position to be I lowered intovthe tank, the mold-carrier is allowed to descend by its own weight, slow'and uniform motion-being obtained by means of a dash-pot. The operatorpasses to the next .mold, which has been immersedin the molten material the proper length of time to form a record, and raises the same by means of a rope passing over a pulley, the mold-carrier being held in its proper position by a sustaining-hook. The operator then removes the mold from the carrier, inserts afresh mold, and releases the-mold-carrier, allowing the same to descend, as before described. He then passes on to the next mold-carrier, which is inits lowered position, and repeats the opertime has elapsed for the molding or congealing of the wax in the first mold, and the of the o erator Imaybe so s nying dra heretofore iorsupportmg the molds and raising and lowerin thesame it is common to sup ort six'mol -carentire a paratu's condition fora second cycle 0 operations exactly similar to the first. This manner of operating a moldmg apparatus requires a considerable-expendi ture' .of labor in raising the mold-carriers, so, that after several hours of work operators do I not generallywork as rapidly as atfirst-and thequantity of work turned out within a given time is diminished even thou h the slowing up ight' as not to be noticeab e. Furthermore, an indolent operator is at any timejable to greatly reduce ,the'

number. of records'which the apparatus is capable of roducing Within a given time Without the owing up being very apparent,

-It is'theobject' of my nvention to provide an apparatus which will either produce the greatest; possiblejnumber' ofrecords Within a 'ven time or'elsewill indicatethat it is not eing operated at full capacity Referenceis hereb made to the accompa s, in w ch the same referencenumerals. in icateicorresponding parts in both-views, of which- "Figure 1' is aside elevation, partly in section, of'oneform of device in which my 111- ve'ntion-ma' be embodied; and-Fig; 2' is 'a front elevat1on,:part1 insection, of the same.

In the apparatus s own' 1 is a'tank of any suitable form for containing molten material from whichthe records are to be formed."

This tank. supports-the legs or standards 2-of the. dipping apparatus, said legs orstand'ards carryin a top plate or frame 3.'at their. upper xtend together at their. lower ends b plates 5..

Guide-rods 6 extend-"between t e latest5- and. the apnea-16 3.: Mounted to side lon-' gitudinallyof. the guide-rods 6 are sleeves7 7, formed on a yoke 8, having a central open ing. therein for receiving a dipping-can '9.

Connectingsrods 12 extendbetween-the yoke p mgdownwar'dly from the top 'frameare rods 4 4., at -each s1de,- connected 8 and" anupper' yoke 13, formed with sleeves 14, also movable on the guide-rods '6. EX-

tending upwardly from the yoke 13 are connecting-rods- 15 secured together iat' their tops by a cross head- 16', through which extends a rod 17 adjustably connected with the cross-head by a set-screw 18. The rod 17 is guided in-a bearin'gby a stationary yoke 19 supported by standards 20 from the next mold-earner is being raised, and just as top of a dash pot cylinder 21. A piston 22- ing a perfect record in the first mold by the works in this cylinder and connects with the lower end of the rod 17. This piston is provided with a petcoek 23, which may be opened more or less to regulate the descent of the cylinder.

The rod 17 is connected by means of a chain or coupling 25 with one end of a lever 26, which is pivoted at 28 to a suitable support 31 and carries at its inner end a roller 27 for engagement with a cam 29. A camshaft extends parallel to the row of moldcarriers, and a cam is provided for elevating each of said carriers. Therefore for a set of six moldcarriers there will be six cams, and in order that the proper cycle of 0 erations may take place, each cam will be p aced on the shaft at a different angle, so that they will operate successively in regular sequence and at regular intervals of time. Thus when six cams are used they will be laced sixty degrees apart around the shaft. t is immaterial in what order the several cams operate so lon as they operate successively and at regu ar intervals.

The shaft 30 is rotated slowly at a constant speed by means of any suitable mechanism. I have shown for this purpose a driving-shaft 33, which may be driven by an electric motor. The said shaft is provided with a worm 34, which meshes with the worm-Wheel 32 on the shaft 30. A cross-beam 35' is provided as an additional support.

vEach ofthe cams 29 is so formed that it raises the mold-carrier with a slow practically uniform motion from its lowest to its highest position. It thenholds the same in the latter position for a fixed length of time, which is usually sufficient to enable the operator to remove the filled mold from the carrier and replace the same'by a new empty mold. While this operation is going on the shaft.

It is sometimes desirable that the latch be removed or held insuch a position that it will not intercept the yoke 13 in its descent. In this case the operator must of course replace the filled mold with an empty one while the mold-carrier is held in its elevated position by the cam, since the carrier will descend as soon as the roller 27 passes the cam. The advantage of this method of procedure is that absolute uniformity in the time and duration of the immersion of each mold is secured. The operator is thus relieved of the labor of raising the molds and can therefore work more rapidly at his other duties. Furthermore, the time formerly occupied in raising the molds all saved, since the operator is able to work on one mold while its successor is being raised. The speed of the shaft 30 is so regulated as to allow the operator just enou h time to perform the necessary work; t is impossible for him to slight the wor because if he should allow a filled mold to descend into the tank instead of a fresh empty mold the mold would become choked with material, which 'would of course furnish evidence that negligence had occurred. On the other hand, if the operator allows mold elevated so that it will not descend into the tank it will be necessary for him to leave the'mold in its elevated position for an entire cycle of operations, because if he should allow it to descend too late there would not be time enough for a record to be formed in the mold at the time the cam efiects the elevation thereof. It is obvious, therefore, that by means of my invention the molding apparatus can be operated at its full capacity and that if it is not so operated the fact will be at ,once apparent to an observer.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new therein, and desire to'secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a molding apparatus, the combination of a series of mold-carriers occupying depressed positions, and driven means for raising each f said mold-carriers, said means operating sequence, substantially as set forth.

2. In a molding apparatus, the combination of a series of mold-carriers occupying depressed positions and driven means for raising each of said mold-carrier's, said means operating to raise the mold-carriers in regular sequence and to hold the same in elevated positions for intervals which are shorter than the periods of depression, substantially as set forth.

3. In a molding apparatus, the combination of a series of mold-carriers occupying deressed positions, and driven means for raismg each of said mold-carriers in regular seit reaches its highest position the first cam passes the roller and allows the first moldcarrier to descend of its own weight.

Depending from the top frame or plate 3 is a latch 24, which swings rearwardly to allow the yoke 13 to ascend slightly above the latch, but which engages the same upon its descent and holds the mold-carrier in an elevated position until theoperator is ready for the mold to be immersed, whereupon it is only necessary to withdraw the latch and permit the parts -to descend by gravity. Ordinarily the operator releases the carrier as soon asit reaches the latch in its descent; but occasionally some extra time is needed. In this case the carrier is held up by the said latch while the operator arranges the new mold; but if so much time elapses that the operator has to pass on to the next mold the first mold-carrier must remain elevated for an entire cycle of operations, since the time remaining would not be sufficient for formtime at which it will be elevated by the camthe hook 24= to hold the to raise the mold-carriers in regular I qunce and for sustaining the same in its elecarrier in an elevated posltion for an interval period of depreswhich is shorter than the sien, substantially as set forth.

6. Ina molding apparatus, the combination of a series of mold-carriersoccupying depressed positions, and driven means for raismg and sustaining each of said mold-carriers in regularsequenoe, the periods of depression being greater than the ]periods of elevation,

substantially as set fort Witnesses:

&

7. In a moldingapparatus, the combinavate'd position for a short period of time said tion of a series of mold-carriers occupying demeans operating to raise one carrier while the pressed positions, and a driven cam-shaft for pre carrier is in an elevated position, elevating each of said mold-carriers and holdsubstantially as set forth. ing the same in its elevated position for a 4. In a molding apparatus, the combinafixed interval of time, the cams beingplacedtion of a series of mold-carriers occup deat different angles on the shaft so as to raise 3 5 pressed positions, releasablemeans for holdthe mold-carriers in regular sequence,- submg each of said carriers in an elevated posistantially as set forth. tion, and driven means for rais' said mold 8. In a molding apparatus, the combina-, carriers in regular sequence an sustaining tion of a series of mold-carriers occupying dethe same-in their elevated positions for a pressed positions, a driven oam-shattfor ele-' short period of time, substantially as set vating each of said'mold-carriers and holding forth. 1 V g 1' the same in its elevated position for a fixed 5. In a molding apparatus, the'combi na- 'interval of time, the cams being placed at tion of a mold-carrier and means for interdifferent angles on the shaft so as to raise the mittentliy raising and lowering said mold-carmold-carriers in regular sequence, and the 5 rier, sai means operating to hold the mold- 'surfacesof said cams overlapping in such a mannerthat the lifting operation of'one cam the receding cam, substantial T 's specification signed and witnessed this 21st day of March, 1905.

es place during the holding operation of y as set forth.

EDWARD L. AIKEN.

DELOS HOLDEN, FRANK L. DYER 

